"'Paradise Lost' is a lament of love by a patriot in despair," one reviewer wrote. And indeed it is. Retired ambassador Dennis Ignatius chronicles the sad decline of a country that was once full of promise. It is an epic study of how race-based politics, religious extremism, rampant corruption and poor leadership is destroying a country that was once hailed as one the Asian tigers.
In particular, it chronicles the disastrous legacy of one man - Dr Mahathir Mohamad. Mahathir served as prime minister from 1981 to 2003 and again from 2018-2020. When Mahathir came to power, Malaysia was a promising democracy with an independent judiciary, a free press and well-respected civil service. In his quest to impose his economic and political vision, he emasculated all three. As well, he politicised Islam to further his political ambitions and sowed the seeds for the current Islamic extremism that now threatens to derail a once solidly constitutionally secular state.
Ignatius concludes his seminal work by examining Malaysia's future prospects and whether the nation can overcome Mahathir's toxic legacy.